Secrets in the Sixth Year
by Alexa
Summary: Not a whole lot of romance yet, but I'm just setting it up.....
1. Default Chapter Title

Author's note: Hello again. There's not really a whole lot to say, except that this story is told from Hermione's POV. And it even has a plot! Wow - that's a MAJOR first for me. Anyways, please read and review this, because I want to know what you think of it. Thanks! 

Disclaimer: All the characters are J.K. Rowling's, though I really, REALLY wish they were mine. 

The best part about returning to Hogwarts is entering King's Cross station. That's when the excitement really hits - when you know you're truly back after two long months. I had fidgeted the entire ride there, much like a four year old who is taking their first trip to the circus. I grinned, knowing I had once been one of those four year olds, begging my mother for cotton candy or balloons. 

I turned my heavy cart so it faced the stone barrier between platforms nine and ten, and was about ready to run at it when a heard a very unpleasant, yet vaguely familiar voice from behind me. I glanced quickly over my shoulder and stopped short. It was a very large, red-faced man towering menacingly over a boy with wild black hair and glasses. 

"Harry!" I squealed, forgetting my luggage and sprinting at him. He turned and grinned when he saw me running toward the place they stood. I reached them and threw my arms around him, choosing to ignore the look of pure hate his uncle was giving me, not to mention the look of surprise on his cousin's face. We embraced for a moment and then drew away. 

"Uncle Vernon, Dudley - I'd like you to meet Hermione Granger." I smiled at them, but felt quite surprised. This was the first time he'd ever formally introduced me to his relatives - they were so prejudiced against magic that he'd never bothered. But I caught a glimpse of his cousin Dudley's jealous face and it told me everything I needed to know. Harry was obviously pleased to have been greeted by a girl in this way in front of Dudley who, according to Harry, had never come close to having a girlfriend. It's payback time, I decided, my grin widening. Payback for all the years of Harry being tortured. 

"Nice to meet you," I said sweetly, scooting closer to Harry's side. He glanced at me quickly and when he saw that I'd figured out what he was doing, he threw a casual arm around my shoulders. 

"Anything else I need to know before I leave, Uncle Vernon?" he asked, his voice nearly breaking with laughter. 

"N-no..." His uncle was speechless with shock. 

"Okay then, I guess I'll be going. Thanks for the ride here." He turned to me and gestured toward his cart, his eyes glittering mischievously. "My lady?" Oh no. No no no no. He didn't mean - but apparently he did. I stared at him with questioning eyes, and he nodded slightly. I smiled. 

"Thank you, sir." I took his hand and hopped on top of his trunk, hoping he was strong enough to push me. He looked confident though, and I trusted him. He put his hands on the cart, and I turned, grinning evilly, to the Dursleys for one last remark. 

"It was nice meeting you." Harry wheeled me away, and we waited until Dudley left with a last spiteful glare in his direction before we burst out laughing. 

"They bought it!" Harry choked through his laughter, "they believed it!" He was holding on to the cart handle for support, gasping. I nearly rolled off his trunk. 

"Did you see Dudley's face?" I wheezed, "he - he -" I couldn't finish. We laughed until another voice spoke up. 

"Well, this is an interesting scenario," a familiar voice commented. I looked up and into the grinning face of Ron Weasley. 

"Ron!" I squealed, wrapping my arms around him. He hugged me back, but not without commenting. 

"Whoa - easy Hermione. You're gonna kill me." 

"Sorry," I told him, drawing back and wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. There was an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach as I drew away from him - something I couldn't remember ever feeling before. I shook it off as Ron turned to Harry, and they did some kind of high five thing that I'll never be able to understand. Guy stuff, I supposed. I checked my watch. 

"Hey - we'd better get going. We've only got ten minutes." I hopped off Harry's trunk and walked back to my own, hoping we could still make it. I wheeled my cart back to them and we started for the barrier. We'd gotten better at passing through it over the years, and now we didn't have to take it at a run anymore. We strolled toward it, talking casually. 

"So - what's so funny?" Ron asked as we neared the wall. 

"Long story - we'll tell you on the train," Harry answered. We stepped through the barrier from the muggle world to the magic one, and we suddenly found ourselves on a platform with a scarlet train and many chattering witches and wizards. We dragged our trunks on to the train and into an empty compartment. I sat back in my seat, beaming at my two best friends who were grinning back, and I felt amazingly relaxed. Hogwarts had just begun! 

*** 

"Wait - you haven't heard the best part yet!" Harry exclaimed. We were halfway through our explanation of what had happened before Ron had arrived at the train station. 

"Lemme guess. You two started acting like a couple of lovebirds -" 

"Yup. Hermione's a great fake flirt." 

"Shut up!" I said indignantly, swatting at him. 

"You know, I think I could see that...," Ron said with a smile. 

"You too," I answered, kicking him. But I couldn't help but laugh. 

"Okay. So then what?" 

"Then - then I told Hermione to get up on my trunk and she did and then I - I wheeled her away...." He couldn't finish. Ron was in hysterics, rolling on the floor, and I laughed helplessly, clutching my side. 

"Man," Ron commented, crawling back on to his seat, " I wish I could have seen it." 

"Don't worry - you will," Harry assured him. I shot him a surprised glance. He grinned mischievously. "Well - the Dursleys have to come pick me up at the end of the year, right?" 

"Oh no," I said, shaking my head, "I am NOT doing THAT again." He grinned at me teasingly. 

"Come on, Hermione....." 

"No!" I sounded so forceful that he laughed. 

"Okay, fine." 

Sometime later, I leaned my head back against the corner of the compartment, my knees drawn up to my chest and my feet resting on the empty seat between Ron and I. We'd just finished lunch and Harry had fallen asleep. I found this a bit odd for a moment, but then dismissed the thought from my mind, deciding that he'd probably had a rough night, with his uncle and all. Ron sighed and mimicked my position, placing his feet on top of mine. I smiled a little, pulled my feet out from under his and put them on top. He grinned and did the same. The game resulted in both of us laughing and kicking each other, legs flailing wildly. I nearly fell off my seat, but Ron sat up and grabbed my arm just in time. He hauled me back up, putting a finger to his lips as Harry stirred a bit from the other side of the compartment. I nodded and leaned back again in my seat with a groan. "This place needs to come with pillows," I commented quietly. Ron grinned. 

"Here - we can be each other's back rests." He turned so he was facing the wall of the compartment and his back was to me. I did the same and we leaned against each others backs, which was definitely more comfortable than the cold steel walls of the compartment. For awhile, neither of us spoke. Then I spoke softly, more to myself than to my crimson-haired back rest. 

"I can't wait to get back." 

"Hmm?" He asked, our backs still to each other. 

"Oh - I just said I can't wait to get back," I told him, blushing slightly. 

"Me neither," he said. I could tell he was grinning. "Ginny's been driving me crazy!" I smiled too. Then, I continued on a more serious note, my smile fading. 

"Ron?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you ever feel like - like Hogwarts is sort of - oh, I don't know. Maybe - kind of like your home? Wait - no, that's not what I mean -" 

"I think I understand," he cut in, sliding one leg to the floor so he could face me. I turned around too. "Kind of like a place where you feel comfortable, where there's nothing you have to live up to?" 

"Yes!" I exclaimed, delighted, "yes, that's exactly what I mean. Like - like a place where you can just get away from it all and be yourself?" 

"Yeah. Everything's so much easier there. Especially for people like, well, like Harry." We both glanced at his sleeping form. "I really don't think he likes being famous. I mean, he can draw a crowd by parting his bangs!" 

"Yeah...." I smiled, glad he agreed with me. I had been feeling this way for a long time, but I had been too shy to share it with anyone. Ron had seemed like the perfect person to start with. Sure, he was a kidder, but he was so thoughtful...... 

"Hey - Hermione?" He tore his eyes away from the window and looked at me. "How come you've never brought this up before?" I felt myself blush a little. 

"I - I don't know. I guess I wasn't sure if anyone felt the same way, and...." I glanced up and caught his gaze. His ocean blue eyes stared into mine and I couldn't turn away. My throat went dry and there was an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, the same one I'd felt when I'd hugged him in greeting. 

"Oh....okay. Just....wondering..." He turned back to the window. 

*** 

I lay back in my four poster considerably later, still taking in every detail of the dormitory I knew so well - the dormitory that four other people along with myself called home. I felt exhausted, with the train ride, the sorting and the feast, but I couldn't sleep. I reached for my wand on my bedside table and waved it in the direction of the curtains on my four poster, just for the sake of doing magic. They went a dark blue color, and then small, twinkling stars began to appear on them. I smiled. I'd always loved stars. My past notebooks and homework were covered in them (doodles of them, I mean). I considered doing the same to Lavender's hair, just to see her reaction in the morning, but I decided it was too cruel and put down my wand before the temptation became too great. 

I turned over, but couldn't sleep. There was something nagging at the back of my mind, something itching to be thought about. I tried to ignore it, but couldn't. I knew perfectly well what it was. Ron. Plain and simple. I had all these mixed feelings about him now, feelings I couldn't name. It was strange - he was always such a great friend to me. And he still was. Just the thought of him made me smile a little. I was confusing myself. What was up? 

Now that the lagging thought had been thought out, I managed to fall asleep, feeling more happy and contented than I had in two months. 

The morning was a relatively normal Hogwarts morning. I showered, pulled on my robes and tried fruitlessly to tame my wild tangle of curls. I sighed, exasperated. It was hopeless! Finally, though, with some help from Lavender and Parvati, my hair was plaited into two braids and we were on our way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. 

I slumped down into the seat that Harry and Ron had saved for me and reached for the sausage. "Ron - hand me the orange juice?" 

"Here." He handed me the jug and I filled my glass. "Hey - nice hair!" He grinned and tugged on one of my pigtails. Though I'd been wearing braids for several years, he never ceased to tease me about them, even more so after he'd found my copy of Pippi Longstocking in my trunk one year. I rolled my eyes. 

"Thanks, Ron. I really appreciate it," I said, taking a bite of scrambled eggs. 

"No problem," he answered. "So - new classes today?" 

"Mmmm hmmm," I answered, picking up my schedule. He glanced over at it. 

"Wow, Hermione - less than fifteen classes this year. Congratulations!" 

"Ha ha. Very funny," I said, twirling one of my braids around my finger. I was getting that weird feeling again..... 

"Hey Hermione - take less than twenty five classes this year?" Harry leaned over Ron for a glimpse at my schedule. 

"Geez, you guys are pathetic. Find some new insults - this one's years old." 

"Even older than Pippi Longstocking?" Ron teased, holding my braids straight out the sides of my head. 

"Yes, even older than that," I answered, my heart beginning to beat rapidly. "And, for your information, I am only taking eight classes this year." 

"Wow, Hermione, it's a record," said Harry with a grin. I rolled my eyes. 

"I give up!" 

The day went relatively well. There were no major accidents like there had been on that memorable first day of our third year. Hagrid still taught Care of Magical Creatures, and the ministry, though still controlled by Malfoy's father, had learned to ignore any complaints Draco made about the class. Snape was still as horrible as ever - he managed to take five points from Gryffindor just after breakfast because Neville had spilled his bookbag and caused a hold up in the corridor. I dreaded even the thought of his potions class. McGonagall was still as strict as ever, and Flitwick seemed to have shrunk an inch or two. Or perhaps I was finally growing. Whatever it was, he seemed exceptionally short this year, something Ron, at nearly six feet now, was quick to notice. 

Ron....several days into the term, I began to see a pattern in the weird feelings I got when I was around him. It was only when he was really close to me, like playing with my hair or looking into my eyes that I got it. I began to feel uncomfortable around him as the realization of what I was feeling finally sank in. I began to avoid him, and became incapable of human conversation in his presence. Harry soon became aware of this and dragged me off to a quiet corner of the common room one day while Ron had detention. 

"Hermione - what's going ON with you? You're acting so weird around Ron -" 

"What do you mean, Harry?" I asked, trying to buy time before I had to confess. 

"You know what I mean, Hermione. I'm not that dense." I raised my eyebrows at him, but he ignored it and continued on. "I'm serious, Hermione. What's up?" I sighed. There was no way around it. 

"Harry - do you promise not to tell?" He nodded solemnly. "I mean it, Harry. You cannot ever repeat this to anyone." He nodded again. I took a deep breath. "Harry, I - I think I'm in love with Ron." I glanced up at him, waiting for a gasp, or a wide-eyed expression, but nothing came. "Well?" I demanded. "Aren't you surprised?" He smiled. 

"Actually, not really. I have to confess - I've been expecting that for years." 

"You have?" I asked, confused. 

"Yes," he answered, grinning. "I could see it coming. You two match up perfectly. I promise I won't tell anyone. I never have before." 

"Thanks, Harry," I said gratefully. I knew I could trust him, and it felt wonderful to have told someone and gotten it off my shoulders. 

The next month or so was pretty uneventful. Fall settled in, turning the leaves of the trees brilliant shades of red, orange and gold, and the air became chilly and windy. Quidditch season began, featuring Harry as the returning Gryffindor Seeker and Ron as Keeper. Ron had joined the team in our fourth year when Oliver Wood had left. I was just beginning to believe that this year might not result in another near-death experience when Halloween came. And that's where the trouble came in. 

It began normally enough. We (meaning the Gryffindor sixth years) started toward the Great Hall for the much awaited Halloween feast. Although I'd attended it five times before, it was still one of my favorite events at Hogwarts. I was just explaining this to Lavender when Harry, who was walking in front of me, stopped short. I nearly crashed into him, but steadied myself as a familiar voice spoke. "Ah, off to the Halloween feast?" 

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," we chorused. 

"One of my favorite nights of the year," he said, smiling. "Well, I certainly won't hold you up. Except you three - Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger? Would you accompany me to my office for a moment?" 

"Yes, sir," we answered, puzzled. The others also looked confused, but promised to meet up with us at the feast and continued down the hall. Dumbledore led us to his office in silence. He looked a bit worried, and none of us took that as a good sign. He led us through many staircases I'd never seen before - all secret passages to his office - a place that I had never been. I glanced at my two friends. Ron didn't seem too concerned - he seemed to be more interested in this new section of the castle than he was in going to Dumbledore's office. But Harry - Harry looked worried. I wondered if it had anything to do with the dark circles that had been under his eyes lately, or the fact that he kept rubbing his scar, a gesture he only made when he was nervous or if there was danger coming. Either way, it was not a good thing. I began feeling a bit nervous myself. I was hovering on the edge of actual fear by the time Dumbledore finally led us into his office and gestured for us to sit down. 

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said, looking very grave. I swallowed hard. Harry turned pale and Ron looked extremely nervous. "It's about Voldemort -" 

"He's here, isn't he?" Harry cried, his hand tracing his scar again, "I knew it! I could feel it! I was having these dreams, and my scar -" 

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore cut in, "he is here. We don't know exactly where, or in what form, but he is here. He is obviously after you, Harry, but we believe that you two," he nodded at Ron and I, "are in danger also. Voldemort will go to any lengths to get to Harry, and you could be targets." I listened with wide eyes, Ron doing the same next to me. Voldemort - again? We hadn't had any trouble with him since our second year, with Riddle's Diary. Why would he come back now? As if reading my thoughts, Dumbledore continued. "We believe that he has not shown himself before now because he was saving his strength and becoming stronger. He has full power now." I swallowed hard. He went on. "I am sure that you three will be alright for awhile - I doubt that he will show up anytime soon. But I wanted you to know so you could take the necessary precautions." I nodded. He smiled. "I'll let you go on to the feast now - you'll hardly be in danger with so many students and teachers around. And please don't worry - I have faith in you three. I think you'll be fine." 

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," I said as I rose from my chair and followed Harry and Ron out the door. We walked in silence for awhile. Then Ron spoke. 

"Do you think he'll come soon?" He asked, leading us down a long staircase. 

"I don't know," I answered, sliding my hand across the banister. It was smooth and cold, cold enough to send shivers down my spine. 

"Wow - that's a first," joked Harry, cracking a weak smile. 

"Har har," I answered sourly, "very funny." But it made me smile, which, for some reason, felt wonderful. 

"Let's just enjoy the feast," Ron suggested, "you heard Dumbledore - he probably won't show up tonight, with the feast and all. Let's just have fun and relax, okay?" 

"Okay," said Harry as I nodded. Ron pushed open the door and we entered the hall. 

The Great Hall looked amazing - it really did. Hagrid's usual twelve foot pumpkins stood in the corners, hundreds of bats swooped around over our heads, and the enchanted ceiling revealed thousands of twinkling stars above us. The room was already filled with hundreds of chattering students and teachers, and the delicious aroma of the steaming food had spread throughout the room. "Let's go eat," I suggested, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. It seemed amazing that I could have any kind of appetite at all after hearing the news Dumbledore had just given us, but apparently it was possible. Harry and Ron nodded and followed me to the table, still surveying the magnificent decorations. I ate greedily, smiling and laughing between sips of pumpkin juice. Harry nearly sprayed the population of the table with his, after hearing the punch line of one of Ron's jokes. I couldn't blame him. Ron's jokes aren't very often funny, but when they are, they're real side-splitting, gut-busting, roll-on-the-floor funny. The night couldn't get any better. I should have known it was too good to last. 

As we were all preparing to leave, several people screamed. I rolled my eyes, assuming it was some sort of special effect the teachers had planned, or maybe Peeves playing a trick on them. But then there came the flashes of light - a light too bright, a light that could only mean dark magic. The screams were louder now, and through them I could hear loud bangs like explosions. I could feel my heart plummet into my stomach. It was him. I turned to Ron and Harry. They looked terrified, but I could see in their eyes that they knew. It was time. 

Harry was the first to come to his senses. He whirled around and sprinted at the large doors that led out of the Great Hall. He had to get out of there - he had to get Voldemort away from the rest of the students. Ron and I raced after him, throwing ourselves against the door and following the sound of his pounding footsteps. It took me a moment to realize that he was running toward Gryffindor Tower. I didn't bother to think about why - thinking took up too much energy and running was all that mattered then. The corridor with the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view, but Harry didn't slow down. He hurled himself at the door at full speed, not bothering with the password. But the Fat Lady let out a shriek and Ron grabbed him while I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Fiddlesticks!" The door swung open and I threw myself in, Ron and Harry tumbling in behind me. They slammed the door and we lay, tangled on the floor for a minute, breathing heavily. 

Suddenly, there was a wild pounding on the door. I screamed. I couldn't help it. We jumped to our feet and raced to different parts of the room, ready for whatever was coming. If it ever came. Voldemort was still banging violently on the door, and I used the time to meet Ron and Harry's terrified eyes. There wasn't time for a formal goodbye. And so we stared at each other, eyes locked, waiting. 

There was a loud bang and the door burst open, and a hooded figure stepped through. He walked slowly toward Harry, his words coming out in a cold, cruel voice. "So, Harry Potter. We meet again. For the fourth time, I believe? Yes, the fourth time - and the last." Harry walked slowly backward, drawing out his wand as Voldemort advanced on him. I noticed that Voldemort wasn't holding a wand - he had mastered the dark arts, and was obviously powerful enough to perform even the most draining charms without one. He raised his hand to send a curse at Harry, but Ron screamed some sort of spell, directing it at Voldemort. The Dark Lord whirled on him, furious. And thus the battle begun. 

I whipped out my wand and began screaming curses, charms, anything that came to mind. The common room was exploding with flashes of colored light, each one holding a curse more deadly than the next. "Ron, look out!" I shrieked as Voldemort shot a curse at him. Ron tumbled to the side as a flash of green flew by him. He jumped up as soon as it was gone, but I instinctively moved toward him to make sure he was all right. I was so focused on Ron that I didn't notice Voldemort diverting his attention toward me. I heard Harry's voice pierce through the noise. 

"Hermione - DUCK!" I gasped and stared at the jet of light hurtling at me. I couldn't move - I was paralyzed with fear. Suddenly, though, someone dove down behind me, grabbing my ankles, yanking them out from under me. As I toppled over, I caught a glimpse of Ron's brilliant red hair as the light from the curse exploded above me. 

"Ron - thank you," I gasped. Voldemort was advancing toward us, his hand raised, ready to finish us off. I lifted my chin defiantly, ready. We'd never go to the Dark Side, never. Before he could mutter the curse though, I heard Harry's voice, loud and strong, screaming an incantation. Voldemort turned around and Ron and I jumped up, joining Harry in the spell. Voldemort was weakening. 

"No!" He screamed, over and over, his voice, dripping with evil, echoing through my head. I struggled to hold up my wand - the curse was very draining. I could feel myself getting weaker. Voldemort twisted and turned, screaming as the curse took effect. Darkness was coming. I could feel my arms dropping, my breath getting shorter. Voldemort was still screaming, arms and legs flailing. I gasped for air, still screaming the spell. I was drowning in darkness....Voldemort let out a final scream, and then everything went black. 

End of part 1. 


	2. Ron's PoV

Author's note: Nothing much to say up here, except that this is the end of the story and it is told from Ron's POV. RON'S. I want to stress that point because if you don't know that, then this installment of the story will make absolutely no sense (not that it makes any right now). Please read my author's note at the end, though - there's some things I want to clear up.  
  
  
Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except for Brynne Sanders, who belongs to me. The song Amazed belongs to Lonestar.  
  
  
The fog began to clear and I sat up, feeling extremely dizzy. My head was throbbing and the beating of my heart sounded oddly loud to my own ears. I sat there for a few moments before coming to my senses and then I remembered - the laugh, the light - the blinding light, the screams, the bangs, and Harry, and Hermione....oh God. Harry - Hermione - oh no, no. My headache seemed to vanish with the realization that I had no idea what had happened to my two best friends. I stood abruptly, but had to grab at one of the charred tables to steady myself, as my bruised lags were shaking - I couldn't tell if it was from apprehension or injury. The dust was clearing and I was able to look around. I saw Harry before long. He was covered in soot and was lying on his back, his head lifted a bit off the floor. He appeared to be entering consciousness as well. Thank God he's alive, I thought, my heart pounding wildly in my ears. I hobbled over to him, a searing pain shooting through my left knee. I hoped it wasn't permanent. Harry finally seemed to notice me as I knelt beside him. "Ron?" He asked warily, blinking at the sight of me bending over him.  
  
  
"Yeah, Harry. It's me." He tried to sit up, but winced and fell back, a pained look on his face.  
  
  
"Ron - my back...."  
  
  
"It'll be alright, Harry," I said quickly, "I'll get help. But first we have to find Hermione..." I began scanning the room for any sign of her, beginning to feel sick with worry, and at the same time taking in the wreckage of the ruined common room. The once cozy, comfortable room was now torn apart, destroyed at the hands of Voldemort. The squashy armchairs by the fire which I had spent so many years in were ripped apart and strewn over the blackened floor, the table where Harry, Hermione and I always did our homework was charred and crumbling....I surveyed the room again for Hermione, hoping, praying -  
  
  
"Ron," a weak voice called. I turned and saw Harry pointing, an odd expression on his face. "Hermione...."  
  
  
"Oh....oh....no," I muttered, my feelings coming out in fragments as I followed the direction of his index finger to where he was pointing, to where Hermione lay, dirty and still. "Oh -" I cursed, forgetting my injured leg and hurrying across the room, dropping to my knees beside her. "Hermione, wake up, wake up. Wake UP, Hermione, wake up! Oh....oh....oh God...." I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, wanting a reaction, a sign of life - something - anything - "Come ON, Hermione, get up -" Harry, who had managed to slither across the floor without hurting his back, joined me at Hermione's side.  
  
  
"Ron....she'll be alright," he said quietly, a tentative, gentle tone to his voice. I could tell that he was trying to reassure himself as well. I ignored him and went on trying to revive Hermione.  
  
  
"Hermione - Hermione, no. Don't do this to me Hermione - don't - oh - oh -" I was nearly in hysterics, but there were no tears. Not yet. Don't cry, I told myself, there's still hope - and yet, Hermione's head continued to roll hopelessly from side to side. I glanced at Harry for some comfort, guidance, something to get me out of my hysteria, but he turned away. Not soon enough, though. I saw a tear slide down his cheek. He hastily reached up to wipe it away, but another fell, and then another. He dropped the delicate hand he'd been using to find a pulse and buried his face into his grimy robes, the muffled sobs racking his body, the tears dripping on to the floor in front of him. No, no, no, I told myself fiercely. Just because Harry lost hope doesn't mean you have to, too! But my eyes began to tear up in spite of myself. Hope was slipping away from me, falling like sand through my fingers.   
  
  
A silent tear coursed down my cheek. I wiped it away hurriedly, still refusing to cry. As I did, the salty liquid passed over the grime and soot on my cheek, thickening it and smearing it over my fingers. I didn't realize this until I brought my trembling hand to Hermione's pale cheek. I touched my thumb to her cheekbone and tenderly brought it down the side of her face, leaving a streak of soot - of sorrow, of pain, of friendship....and....and something else. It was an emotion I'd felt before, one I remembered feeling when she looked into my eyes on the Hogwarts Express. And it was then as I sat, staring at the smudge I'd made on her face, feeling the tingling warmth of her skin beneath my blackened fingers that I saw it - that I tackled it head-on.  
  
  
My eyes widened with the realization and I choked on the sobs that were suddenly rising in my throat. Love. LOVE. Why hadn't I seen it before? Every time I'd teased her, every time we'd laughed together, every time she'd turned to me crying for help....oh God. I LOVED her. The tears flowed freely now - there was no reason to hold them in. Harry wasn't. Harry - I suddenly remembered him sobbing beside me. He stared at me, his tearstained face shining in the dim, dusty light that filled the room. One look into his emerald green eyes told me all I needed to know. He understood. We'd always had a special bond, always known what the other was thinking. And another look into those tragic eyes told me that there was more to the scene than I thought. "What?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer. But the answer was not at all what I expected.  
  
  
"She - she -" Harry avoided my eyes, stammering out the things he wanted to tell me, but couldn't.  
  
  
"What?" I asked again, more gently this time.  
  
  
"She loved you." He said it so firmly, so bluntly, that I knew it was true. But it still seemed too impossible to be real.  
  
  
"She - she what?" I gasped.  
  
  
"She made me swear never to tell, she told me that she always had and that she - she always would...." Tears stung in my eyes as I looked at her limp form and replied, in a voice barely audible.  
  
  
"I loved her too, Harry. I - I never knew it, but I did." He put a trembling hand on my shoulder and I looked again at Hermione, barely aware of it. "I love you, Hermione, I whispered. And suddenly, as if on cue, I was bending over her, watching her unmoving face coming closer to mine. She'd told me a muggle story about this once - a princess had fallen in love with a prince, and then an evil witch had put some kind of spell on her....I couldn't remember exactly. But the point was, the spell had been lifted off the princess by a single kiss from the prince. Perhaps - of course, it would probably have no effect, I reminded myself, watching her face come closer - Hermione wasn't under a spell, and I was hardly a prince. But maybe, maybe - please, I prayed. Her face was an inch away from mine now. Maybe my love would be enough. Harry, who had long since realized the scenario, had taken his hand off my shoulder. In my head I could see a picture of him sitting behind me, rubbing his scar in anxiety, the tears still streaming down his cheeks, and I knew he was praying too. I swallowed hard. My last chance. I took a deep breath. I was ready. I allowed myself to dip the last inch and touch my dry, cracked lips to hers. Even in her still, lifeless form it felt wonderful to kiss her - to hold the girl I loved and know she loved me back, even if she didn't know it at the moment. I lifted my head reluctantly, never wanting to let her go. But I had to. I sat up slowly, Harry's hand on my shoulder again. We both watched her face, searching for anything that would convince us that she wasn't - that she wasn't.....oh God. I couldn't even bring myself to think the word. We'd just about given up. I turned away to hide my tears and was about to get up to run away, to somewhere where I didn't have to see her lifeless figure when Harry spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.  
  
  
"Ron - look." And I did. Her eyelashes - her beautiful eyelashes - were fluttering. I took a deep breath and watched, waiting. After a few moments the fluttered open, revealing her rather dazed looking eyes, the eyes I adored so much. Milk chocolate eyes, like cinnamon or gingerbread or a million other wonderful things. She blinked several times before finally realizing where she was, and then her enchanting eyes clouded with worry at the sight of our terrified faces.  
  
  
"Ron - Harry?" A wave of delight washed over me and Harry and I let out the breaths we'd been holding, the tears falling again, but new ones this time. Tears of happiness, of relief, of joy, all of our emotions flowing out with them.  
  
  
"Hermione!" I wailed into the shoulder of her robes, feeling very much like a five year old instead of the sixteen year old I really was.  
  
  
"Ron - Ron...." she was stroking my hair. "Ron - you're alive! And I'm alive! And Harry's alive! What happened?" The sight of the two of us sobbing all over the place finally became too much for her, and she started up, too. "Harry, what are you doing? Get down here!" Laughing through her tears, she pulled the sobbing Harry down to join us and all three of us sat there, holding each other and crying, bonding.  
  
  
After we'd all cried until there were no more tears to be shed, we got to talking. Harry filled Hermione in until just before the part about where he'd admitted that Hermione loved me. That's when we heard the footsteps, hundreds of them, thundering up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. And the voices. Oh, the voices. They were deafening. Harry shot us both a glance that said 'I'll handle this' and sprinted toward the portrait hole, his pained back forgotten. I motioned toward him and grinned. "Great guy," I told Hermione. She smiled, but was not to be distracted.  
  
  
"Ron," she said softly, "what happened next?"  
  
  
"Uhhh....well...." I wasn't sure if it would be the right thing to do to tell Hermione about Harry breaking her promise to him. I quickly decided on the truth, though. After all, she wouldn't have been alive just then if it hadn't been for him. "And then, Harry told me that - he told me that you loved me -" Her eyes went wide with shock and she turned away, blushing a brilliant shade of red. I caught her chin, though, and turned her face so that I was looking her straight in the eyes. I continued, "And then I realized that - that I loved you too." She broke into a smile, and yet more tears slid down her already tearstained cheeks. I wiped them away, never taking my eyes away from hers. If I had, I probably would have noticed the second soot streak I left on her face. But I didn't notice or care, and neither did she. "And then I kissed you and you came round. God, Hermione, we were so scared -" She cut me off.  
  
  
"You love me, Ron?" she asked, as if not daring to believe it. I swallowed hard and vowed to be brave.  
  
  
"Yes, Hermione, I do." My voice didn't quaver at all. I knew it was because I had so much confidence in the words I was saying.  
  
  
"And you - you kissed me? And then I woke up, just like the fairy tale, and....and...." She ran out of words. I was somewhat speechless too. I decided to be brave. Pulling her close, I kissed her again. It was wonderful - the kiss said more than anything we could have said in words. It ended, and I stared into her eyes, the beautiful, sparkling eyes that I knew - and now loved.  
  
  
***  
  
  
If you asked me to repeat anything that occurred that night after that point, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything. All I could see was Hermione - everything else was a daze. Dumbledore must've come in, along with McGonagall and the rest of Gryffindor house. Forget Gryffindor house - the rest of the school. I reckon we told them what had happened with Voldemort. I remember a few words of the conversation, four hundred points each being the main ones.  
  
  
We made it through the next few months without anything too unusual - at least, not too unusual for Hogwarts. The only odd thing I noticed had to do with Snape. He wasn't as brutal to us as he had been before. The change was so small, so gradual, that I didn't see it until a few weeks after it began. But it was definitely there. I wondered if, perhaps, he'd been tempted by the dark arts and was relieved to get out. But I wasn't sure and, to be frank, I didn't much care.  
  
  
One day, in about mid-December, all the sixth and seventh year students received an interesting notice. We sixth year Gryffindors got ours during Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She walked up and down the rows of desks. handing out slips of paper. I glanced at mine as she placed it on my desk and smiled a little. There was going to be a dance. Actually, I'd known about it for quite some time, having had five brothers attend it before me. The dance was in Hogsmeade, at some restaurant I'd seen before but hadn't entered. Hogwarts never held dances, but sponsored ones in Hogsmeade instead. From what I'd heard, they were pretty spectacular.  
  
  
I glanced up at Hermione and she smiled at me and nodded, and I grinned back. I had a date. Reading through the notice, I saw that attendance was not required, but then again it didn't need to be. Everyone around me was talking excitedly, already anticipating the day. Someone poked me sharply in the ribs and I turned and saw Harry grinning.  
  
  
"Should we?" I shrugged.  
  
  
"Why not?" He jerked his head in the direction of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who were looking just a little TOO excited. Harry put on a squeaky voice and flipped some invisible hair over his shoulder.  
  
  
"Oh, my God. This is gonna be, like, so incredibly cool! I, like, canNOT wait. Oh, my God, I have, like, nothing to wear! Oh no! Whatever am I, like, going to do?" I grinned.  
  
  
"I honestly wonder about their sanity sometimes...." I trailed off as Hermione appeared next to me. The bell signaling the end of class was due to ring, and so McGonagall had wisely allowed us to talk and pack up our bags for the remainder of the session. I think she realized that there was no way we'd get anything done after finding out about the dance. Hermione seated herself on the edge of my desk and rolled her eyes.  
  
  
"Wardrobe crisis," she said, gesturing toward Lavender and Parvati.  
  
  
"Again?" I asked incredulously.  
  
  
"They seem to have an awful lot of those, don't they?" Harry asked with a grin.  
  
  
"Mmmm hmmm," Hermione answered, stuffing the letter into her bag.  
  
  
"Should we go?" Harry inquired, looking to Hermione.  
  
  
"I don't see why not," she answered, "I mean, even if the Ditz Queens over there do show up, it'll be the same as any other day. We do live with them, remember?"  
  
  
"Of course I remember," I said, getting out of my seat and picking up my bag, "what I want to know is why you had to remind me."  
  
  
"Ha ha," said Hermione, pushing herself off my desk and slinging her bag over her shoulder. The bell rang, and we filed out of the room, still talking excitedly.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next few weeks went by quickly, everyone still anticipating the dance. It was to be held the night before winter vacation began, and so about two weeks before Christmas, Dumbledore and McGonagall arranged a train to Hogsmeade for the sixth and seven years so they could go shopping for clothes for the dance. Dress was formal, so we had to get something nice. I wrinkled my nose a little at the word formal. Just the thought of being stuck in a suit for three hours grossed me out. But, when the day of the Hogsmeade trip came, Harry and I dragged ourselves down to a store in the center of town and purchased suits (Dad had been promoted at work, and so we had nearly unlimited funds). Hermione had gone off to a store similar to Madam Malkin's with Lavender and Parvati, and refused to show us what she had gotten. But the smile on her face was huge, so I figured she was happy with her purchase.  
  
  
On the night of the dance, I sat in the common room with Harry, Dean, Seamus and Neville, waiting for the sixth year girls to come down. We had been told to meet in the Great Hall at 6:45 so there would be time to get everyone assembled and on to the train for the half-hour ride to Hogsmeade. I was a bit amused at the fact that all the formally-dressed students would be arriving at the dance in the old Hogwarts Express, but it was the only way of transportation besides brooms.  
  
  
We laughed and joked for awhile, but stopped short as we heard the door to the girls' dormitory creak open. We watched the stairs expectantly, waiting for them to come down. I could hear their footsteps on the wooden stairs, and when they finally emerged into the common room, I felt my mouth drop open. Hermione wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she could be a real knockout sometimes. Like now. She was in a long, light purple dress that had thin straps and seemed to sparkle somehow. Her hair was French-braided and had small flowers placed here and there that were the same color as her dress. Her cheeks were pink with excitement and her smile could light up the night sky. She was stunning. She walked over to Harry and I, smiling. "Well?" she asked with a small smile.  
  
  
"Hermione, you look - you look - wow," I stammered, still staring at her.  
  
  
"Is that a compliment?" she teased. Harry and I nodded our heads wildly, speechless. "Well - thanks!" She grinned and started toward the portrait hole, the rest of us following her. We hurried down to the Great Hall where the rest of the sixth and seventh years stood waiting for the train to arrive. I stood chatting with everyone else, but I wasn't really listening to what they were saying. I still couldn't take my eyes off Hermione. It wasn't so much the gown that made her beautiful - it was the look on her face. She positively glowed. I noticed even Malfoy staring at her in amazement. At the sight of this, I stifled a laugh and put an arm around her shoulders. I smirked at Malfoy, who glared at me for a moment, and then turned to Pansy Parkinson, who looked especially hideous in a spangly green gown, and slid his arms around her waist. I clamped a hand over my mouth to try and silence my laughter, but it was useless. Next to me, Harry was attempting the same. He failed. I turned away from the revolting sight just as Pansy began to pinch Draco's cheeks. Ugh.  
  
  
Just then, Dumbledore's voice echoed across the hall. "Attention, students! The train has arrived. Please line up single-file and follow me." He led us out into the chilly night air and over to the train. I took a deep breath of the cool air - I loved the crisp feeling of it. I glanced over at Hermione, who was staring up at the sky with a small smile on her face. I glanced up for a moment, and was instantly mesmerized by the millions of stars winking down at us. Hermione smiled sheepishly at me.  
  
  
"I love stars," she said, "aren't they amazing? There's so many of them." I looked up at them again. They'd never seemed so beautiful.  
  
  
"Yes - they're wonderful," I said quietly. We had reached the station. I hopped on to the train and then reached out my hand to help Hermione up. I knew she didn't really need it, but I didn't want her to trip on her dress. Besides, I was feeling very gentleman-like for some reason that night. We settled into a compartment with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years, and were off to Hogsmeade.  
  
  
The village looked as wonderful as ever, with a fresh layer of snow all over the ground and the roofs of the tiny shops. The professors led us though the ice streets to the resturant where the dance was to be held. The room looked incredible, with billions of twinkling lights everywhere, and other decorations, like balloons and streamers. There was a disc jockey in the corner, armed with music from the magic world as well as the muggle one. Along one side of the room was a beautifully decorated table piled high with silver platters of food. Hermione dragged Harry and I over to the dance floor, where she proved to be a very good dancer. I found that I knew most of the songs they were playing - even some of the muggle ones, thanks to Hermione and her portable radio.  
  
  
I had expected it to be very fancy, but it was more of a casual, have-a-good-time kind of dance. It definitely didn't seem as fancy when the DJ put on a new song and told us all to try something called "swing dancing." I had no idea what it was, but Hermione squealed in delight and grabbed my hands. I didn't take this as a good sign.   
  
  
"Hermione - what are we doing?" I asked, confused.  
  
  
"Here - I'll teach you," she said, lifting my arm and spinning under it. It actually wasn't so bad. We spent most of the song laughing hysterically as Hermione attempted to teach me some steps she'd learned at a summer course. I actually wasn't too bad at it. By the end of the song, I had the rhythm and was actually enjoying myself. Then, a slow song came on. Uh oh. I awkwardly put my arms around Hermione, not quite sure what to do, as this was the first dance I'd ever attended. But she smiled at me, and I relaxed. I flashed a grin at Harry, who was next to us with his arms around some cute Ravenclaw he'd met. He smiled back, and I turned to Hermione, rolling my eyes.  
  
  
"This is Ginny's favorite singer," I told her, wrinkling my nose. She smiled.  
  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
  
"Celestina Warbeck," I said with a groan.  
  
  
"Oh. She has a beautiful voice," Hermione offered. I sighed.  
  
  
"Yeah, but this song kind of...." I trailed off, searching for the right word.  
  
  
"Sucks?" Hermione supplied with a grin. I laughed.  
  
  
"Yes, if you want to put it bluntly." The song ended, and we headed over to the table with all the food, feeling extremely hungry. We piled our plates and walked over to one of the tables that was already partly occupied by the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years. Harry introduced Hermione and I to the Ravenclaw. She was sweet, but I kept forgetting her name. It was Brynne or Briana or something.  
  
  
The rest of the dance went in pretty much the same fashion. I even danced with Parvati. (Ugh. But it wasn't my fault - she asked me!) At the last dance, I found Hermione. I put my arms around her confidently this time - I was an expert at it by then. Harry was dancing with the Ravenclaw again. Brynne, her name was. Harry had gotten so annoyed when I couldn't remember that he'd dragged me off to the bathroom and made me say it fifteen times. Needless to say, I'd learned it. She really was pretty, with sparkling hazel eyes and long silky hair that was similar in color to Hermione's, but hung straight down her back. She looked kind of familiar - almost like the best friend of Harry's old girlfriend Cho. I wondered if she had an older sister. The song we were dancing to was a muggle song, one I'd never heard before. I stared at Hermione as the chorus came on, smiling at the accuracy of the lyrics.  
  
  
I don't know how you do what you do.  
  
  
I'm so in love with you  
  
  
It just keeps getting better  
  
  
I want to spend the rest of my life  
  
  
With you by my side  
  
  
Forever and ever  
  
  
'Cause every little thing that you do  
  
  
Baby I'm amazed by you.  
  
  
Every word of it was true. I looked into her eyes. They were like a world of their own, a world where my life was complete, where everything made sense. And I planned to cherish every moment I spent looking into them.  
  
  
The End.  
  
Author's note: I hope you liked this part. I spent forever on it!!!! Please review it. I'm considering adding more on because it ended kinda quickly. Please tell me in your reviews if you think I should continue it, and email me with any ideas. Now, there's a couple of other things about the story I'd like to clear up.....  
  
  
1. Some of you may be wondering about Brynne. Her name is pronounced BR-IN. I decided to add her in because there's girls in Gryffindor that we've met so far that I felt comfortable in putting Harry with (except maybe Ginny) and so I put him with someone from a different house. I didn't make it Cho because I don't like the idea of him dating an 'older woman.' For those of you who read From A Ravenclaw, Brynne is the younger sister of Erin Sanders, Cho's (invented) best friend. For all you Cho-lovers out there, you can just pretend that he was dancing with Cho and that Brynne never showed up.  
  
  
2. I think you can tell why I had to write this from Ron's POV. Just in case you can't, here's the reason: I'd already started writing the story from Hermione's POV before the little Sleeping Beauty like plot came into my head, and I couldn't exactly write that part from her POV, being that she was unconscious for half the scene. I considered writing it from Harry's, but I wanted to try and portray Ron's emotions, which would have been way different from Harry's. (Of course, right after I began to formulate the story, I read From A Different Point Of View by WeasleyTwinsFan and sobbed all over my keyboard. Writing from Ron's POV didn't seem half as hard after that!)  
  
  
Okay...um....that's it. Thanks for reading! And pretty PLEASE review.....  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

Author's note: Nothing much to say up here, except that this is the end of the story and it is told from Ron's POV. RON'S. I want to stress that point because if you don't know that, then this installment of the story will make absolutely no sense (not that it makes any right now). Please read my author's note at the end, though - there's some things I want to clear up. 

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except for Brynne Sanders, who belongs to me. The song Amazed belongs to Lonestar. 

The fog began to clear and I sat up, feeling extremely dizzy. My head was throbbing and the beating of my heart sounded oddly loud to my own ears. I sat there for a few moments before coming to my senses and then I remembered - the laugh, the light - the blinding light, the screams, the bangs, and Harry, and Hermione....oh God. Harry - Hermione - oh no, no. My headache seemed to vanish with the realization that I had no idea what had happened to my two best friends. I stood abruptly, but had to grab at one of the charred tables to steady myself, as my bruised lags were shaking - I couldn't tell if it was from apprehension or injury. The dust was clearing and I was able to look around. I saw Harry before long. He was covered in soot and was lying on his back, his head lifted a bit off the floor. He appeared to be entering consciousness as well. Thank God he's alive, I thought, my heart pounding wildly in my ears. I hobbled over to him, a searing pain shooting through my left knee. I hoped it wasn't permanent. Harry finally seemed to notice me as I knelt beside him. "Ron?" He asked warily, blinking at the sight of me bending over him. 

"Yeah, Harry. It's me." He tried to sit up, but winced and fell back, a pained look on his face. 

"Ron - my back...." 

"It'll be alright, Harry," I said quickly, "I'll get help. But first we have to find Hermione..." I began scanning the room for any sign of her, beginning to feel sick with worry, and at the same time taking in the wreckage of the ruined common room. The once cozy, comfortable room was now torn apart, destroyed at the hands of Voldemort. The squashy armchairs by the fire which I had spent so many years in were ripped apart and strewn over the blackened floor, the table where Harry, Hermione and I always did our homework was charred and crumbling....I surveyed the room again for Hermione, hoping, praying - 

"Ron," a weak voice called. I turned and saw Harry pointing, an odd expression on his face. "Hermione...." 

"Oh....oh....no," I muttered, my feelings coming out in fragments as I followed the direction of his index finger to where he was pointing, to where Hermione lay, dirty and still. "Oh -" I cursed, forgetting my injured leg and hurrying across the room, dropping to my knees beside her. "Hermione, wake up, wake up. Wake UP, Hermione, wake up! Oh....oh....oh God...." I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, wanting a reaction, a sign of life - something - anything - "Come ON, Hermione, get up -" Harry, who had managed to slither across the floor without hurting his back, joined me at Hermione's side. 

"Ron....she'll be alright," he said quietly, a tentative, gentle tone to his voice. I could tell that he was trying to reassure himself as well. I ignored him and went on trying to revive Hermione. 

"Hermione - Hermione, no. Don't do this to me Hermione - don't - oh - oh -" I was nearly in hysterics, but there were no tears. Not yet. Don't cry, I told myself, there's still hope - and yet, Hermione's head continued to roll hopelessly from side to side. I glanced at Harry for some comfort, guidance, something to get me out of my hysteria, but he turned away. Not soon enough, though. I saw a tear slide down his cheek. He hastily reached up to wipe it away, but another fell, and then another. He dropped the delicate hand he'd been using to find a pulse and buried his face into his grimy robes, the muffled sobs racking his body, the tears dripping on to the floor in front of him. No, no, no, I told myself fiercely. Just because Harry lost hope doesn't mean you have to, too! But my eyes began to tear up in spite of myself. Hope was slipping away from me, falling like sand through my fingers. 

A silent tear coursed down my cheek. I wiped it away hurriedly, still refusing to cry. As I did, the salty liquid passed over the grime and soot on my cheek, thickening it and smearing it over my fingers. I didn't realize this until I brought my trembling hand to Hermione's pale cheek. I touched my thumb to her cheekbone and tenderly brought it down the side of her face, leaving a streak of soot - of sorrow, of pain, of friendship....and....and something else. It was an emotion I'd felt before, one I remembered feeling when she looked into my eyes on the Hogwarts Express. And it was then as I sat, staring at the smudge I'd made on her face, feeling the tingling warmth of her skin beneath my blackened fingers that I saw it - that I tackled it head-on. 

My eyes widened with the realization and I choked on the sobs that were suddenly rising in my throat. Love. LOVE. Why hadn't I seen it before? Every time I'd teased her, every time we'd laughed together, every time she'd turned to me crying for help....oh God. I LOVED her. The tears flowed freely now - there was no reason to hold them in. Harry wasn't. Harry - I suddenly remembered him sobbing beside me. He stared at me, his tearstained face shining in the dim, dusty light that filled the room. One look into his emerald green eyes told me all I needed to know. He understood. We'd always had a special bond, always known what the other was thinking. And another look into those tragic eyes told me that there was more to the scene than I thought. "What?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer. But the answer was not at all what I expected. 

"She - she -" Harry avoided my eyes, stammering out the things he wanted to tell me, but couldn't. 

"What?" I asked again, more gently this time. 

"She loved you." He said it so firmly, so bluntly, that I knew it was true. But it still seemed too impossible to be real. 

"She - she what?" I gasped. 

"She made me swear never to tell, she told me that she always had and that she - she always would...." Tears stung in my eyes as I looked at her limp form and replied, in a voice barely audible. 

"I loved her too, Harry. I - I never knew it, but I did." He put a trembling hand on my shoulder and I looked again at Hermione, barely aware of it. "I love you, Hermione, I whispered. And suddenly, as if on cue, I was bending over her, watching her unmoving face coming closer to mine. She'd told me a muggle story about this once - a princess had fallen in love with a prince, and then an evil witch had put some kind of spell on her....I couldn't remember exactly. But the point was, the spell had been lifted off the princess by a single kiss from the prince. Perhaps - of course, it would probably have no effect, I reminded myself, watching her face come closer - Hermione wasn't under a spell, and I was hardly a prince. But maybe, maybe - please, I prayed. Her face was an inch away from mine now. Maybe my love would be enough. Harry, who had long since realized the scenario, had taken his hand off my shoulder. In my head I could see a picture of him sitting behind me, rubbing his scar in anxiety, the tears still streaming down his cheeks, and I knew he was praying too. I swallowed hard. My last chance. I took a deep breath. I was ready. I allowed myself to dip the last inch and touch my dry, cracked lips to hers. Even in her still, lifeless form it felt wonderful to kiss her - to hold the girl I loved and know she loved me back, even if she didn't know it at the moment. I lifted my head reluctantly, never wanting to let her go. But I had to. I sat up slowly, Harry's hand on my shoulder again. We both watched her face, searching for anything that would convince us that she wasn't - that she wasn't.....oh God. I couldn't even bring myself to think the word. We'd just about given up. I turned away to hide my tears and was about to get up to run away, to somewhere where I didn't have to see her lifeless figure when Harry spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. 

"Ron - look." And I did. Her eyelashes - her beautiful eyelashes - were fluttering. I took a deep breath and watched, waiting. After a few moments the fluttered open, revealing her rather dazed looking eyes, the eyes I adored so much. Milk chocolate eyes, like cinnamon or gingerbread or a million other wonderful things. She blinked several times before finally realizing where she was, and then her enchanting eyes clouded with worry at the sight of our terrified faces. 

"Ron - Harry?" A wave of delight washed over me and Harry and I let out the breaths we'd been holding, the tears falling again, but new ones this time. Tears of happiness, of relief, of joy, all of our emotions flowing out with them. 

"Hermione!" I wailed into the shoulder of her robes, feeling very much like a five year old instead of the sixteen year old I really was. 

"Ron - Ron...." she was stroking my hair. "Ron - you're alive! And I'm alive! And Harry's alive! What happened?" The sight of the two of us sobbing all over the place finally became too much for her, and she started up, too. "Harry, what are you doing? Get down here!" Laughing through her tears, she pulled the sobbing Harry down to join us and all three of us sat there, holding each other and crying, bonding. 

After we'd all cried until there were no more tears to be shed, we got to talking. Harry filled Hermione in until just before the part about where he'd admitted that Hermione loved me. That's when we heard the footsteps, hundreds of them, thundering up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. And the voices. Oh, the voices. They were deafening. Harry shot us both a glance that said 'I'll handle this' and sprinted toward the portrait hole, his pained back forgotten. I motioned toward him and grinned. "Great guy," I told Hermione. She smiled, but was not to be distracted. 

"Ron," she said softly, "what happened next?" 

"Uhhh....well...." I wasn't sure if it would be the right thing to do to tell Hermione about Harry breaking her promise to him. I quickly decided on the truth, though. After all, she wouldn't have been alive just then if it hadn't been for him. "And then, Harry told me that - he told me that you loved me -" Her eyes went wide with shock and she turned away, blushing a brilliant shade of red. I caught her chin, though, and turned her face so that I was looking her straight in the eyes. I continued, "And then I realized that - that I loved you too." She broke into a smile, and yet more tears slid down her already tearstained cheeks. I wiped them away, never taking my eyes away from hers. If I had, I probably would have noticed the second soot streak I left on her face. But I didn't notice or care, and neither did she. "And then I kissed you and you came round. God, Hermione, we were so scared -" She cut me off. 

"You love me, Ron?" she asked, as if not daring to believe it. I swallowed hard and vowed to be brave. 

"Yes, Hermione, I do." My voice didn't quaver at all. I knew it was because I had so much confidence in the words I was saying. 

"And you - you kissed me? And then I woke up, just like the fairy tale, and....and...." She ran out of words. I was somewhat speechless too. I decided to be brave. Pulling her close, I kissed her again. It was wonderful - the kiss said more than anything we could have said in words. It ended, and I stared into her eyes, the beautiful, sparkling eyes that I knew - and now loved. 

*** 

If you asked me to repeat anything that occurred that night after that point, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything. All I could see was Hermione - everything else was a daze. Dumbledore must've come in, along with McGonagall and the rest of Gryffindor house. Forget Gryffindor house - the rest of the school. I reckon we told them what had happened with Voldemort. I remember a few words of the conversation, four hundred points each being the main ones. 

We made it through the next few months without anything too unusual - at least, not too unusual for Hogwarts. The only odd thing I noticed had to do with Snape. He wasn't as brutal to us as he had been before. The change was so small, so gradual, that I didn't see it until a few weeks after it began. But it was definitely there. I wondered if, perhaps, he'd been tempted by the dark arts and was relieved to get out. But I wasn't sure and, to be frank, I didn't much care. 

One day, in about mid-December, all the sixth and seventh year students received an interesting notice. We sixth year Gryffindors got ours during Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She walked up and down the rows of desks. handing out slips of paper. I glanced at mine as she placed it on my desk and smiled a little. There was going to be a dance. Actually, I'd known about it for quite some time, having had five brothers attend it before me. The dance was in Hogsmeade, at some restaurant I'd seen before but hadn't entered. Hogwarts never held dances, but sponsored ones in Hogsmeade instead. From what I'd heard, they were pretty spectacular. 

I glanced up at Hermione and she smiled at me and nodded, and I grinned back. I had a date. Reading through the notice, I saw that attendance was not required, but then again it didn't need to be. Everyone around me was talking excitedly, already anticipating the day. Someone poked me sharply in the ribs and I turned and saw Harry grinning. 

"Should we?" I shrugged. 

"Why not?" He jerked his head in the direction of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who were looking just a little TOO excited. Harry put on a squeaky voice and flipped some invisible hair over his shoulder. 

"Oh, my God. This is gonna be, like, so incredibly cool! I, like, canNOT wait. Oh, my God, I have, like, nothing to wear! Oh no! Whatever am I, like, going to do?" I grinned. 

"I honestly wonder about their sanity sometimes...." I trailed off as Hermione appeared next to me. The bell signaling the end of class was due to ring, and so McGonagall had wisely allowed us to talk and pack up our bags for the remainder of the session. I think she realized that there was no way we'd get anything done after finding out about the dance. Hermione seated herself on the edge of my desk and rolled her eyes. 

"Wardrobe crisis," she said, gesturing toward Lavender and Parvati. 

"Again?" I asked incredulously. 

"They seem to have an awful lot of those, don't they?" Harry asked with a grin. 

"Mmmm hmmm," Hermione answered, stuffing the letter into her bag. 

"Should we go?" Harry inquired, looking to Hermione. 

"I don't see why not," she answered, "I mean, even if the Ditz Queens over there do show up, it'll be the same as any other day. We do live with them, remember?" 

"Of course I remember," I said, getting out of my seat and picking up my bag, "what I want to know is why you had to remind me." 

"Ha ha," said Hermione, pushing herself off my desk and slinging her bag over her shoulder. The bell rang, and we filed out of the room, still talking excitedly. 

*** 

The next few weeks went by quickly, everyone still anticipating the dance. It was to be held the night before winter vacation began, and so about two weeks before Christmas, Dumbledore and McGonagall arranged a train to Hogsmeade for the sixth and seven years so they could go shopping for clothes for the dance. Dress was formal, so we had to get something nice. I wrinkled my nose a little at the word formal. Just the thought of being stuck in a suit for three hours grossed me out. But, when the day of the Hogsmeade trip came, Harry and I dragged ourselves down to a store in the center of town and purchased suits (Dad had been promoted at work, and so we had nearly unlimited funds). Hermione had gone off to a store similar to Madam Malkin's with Lavender and Parvati, and refused to show us what she had gotten. But the smile on her face was huge, so I figured she was happy with her purchase. 

On the night of the dance, I sat in the common room with Harry, Dean, Seamus and Neville, waiting for the sixth year girls to come down. We had been told to meet in the Great Hall at 6:45 so there would be time to get everyone assembled and on to the train for the half-hour ride to Hogsmeade. I was a bit amused at the fact that all the formally-dressed students would be arriving at the dance in the old Hogwarts Express, but it was the only way of transportation besides brooms. 

We laughed and joked for awhile, but stopped short as we heard the door to the girls' dormitory creak open. We watched the stairs expectantly, waiting for them to come down. I could hear their footsteps on the wooden stairs, and when they finally emerged into the common room, I felt my mouth drop open. Hermione wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she could be a real knockout sometimes. Like now. She was in a long, light purple dress that had thin straps and seemed to sparkle somehow. Her hair was French-braided and had small flowers placed here and there that were the same color as her dress. Her cheeks were pink with excitement and her smile could light up the night sky. She was stunning. She walked over to Harry and I, smiling. "Well?" she asked with a small smile. 

"Hermione, you look - you look - wow," I stammered, still staring at her. 

"Is that a compliment?" she teased. Harry and I nodded our heads wildly, speechless. "Well - thanks!" She grinned and started toward the portrait hole, the rest of us following her. We hurried down to the Great Hall where the rest of the sixth and seventh years stood waiting for the train to arrive. I stood chatting with everyone else, but I wasn't really listening to what they were saying. I still couldn't take my eyes off Hermione. It wasn't so much the gown that made her beautiful - it was the look on her face. She positively glowed. I noticed even Malfoy staring at her in amazement. At the sight of this, I stifled a laugh and put an arm around her shoulders. I smirked at Malfoy, who glared at me for a moment, and then turned to Pansy Parkinson, who looked especially hideous in a spangly green gown, and slid his arms around her waist. I clamped a hand over my mouth to try and silence my laughter, but it was useless. Next to me, Harry was attempting the same. He failed. I turned away from the revolting sight just as Pansy began to pinch Draco's cheeks. Ugh. 

Just then, Dumbledore's voice echoed across the hall. "Attention, students! The train has arrived. Please line up single-file and follow me." He led us out into the chilly night air and over to the train. I took a deep breath of the cool air - I loved the crisp feeling of it. I glanced over at Hermione, who was staring up at the sky with a small smile on her face. I glanced up for a moment, and was instantly mesmerized by the millions of stars winking down at us. Hermione smiled sheepishly at me. 

"I love stars," she said, "aren't they amazing? There's so many of them." I looked up at them again. They'd never seemed so beautiful. 

"Yes - they're wonderful," I said quietly. We had reached the station. I hopped on to the train and then reached out my hand to help Hermione up. I knew she didn't really need it, but I didn't want her to trip on her dress. Besides, I was feeling very gentleman-like for some reason that night. We settled into a compartment with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years, and were off to Hogsmeade. 

The village looked as wonderful as ever, with a fresh layer of snow all over the ground and the roofs of the tiny shops. The professors led us though the ice streets to the resturant where the dance was to be held. The room looked incredible, with billions of twinkling lights everywhere, and other decorations, like balloons and streamers. There was a disc jockey in the corner, armed with music from the magic world as well as the muggle one. Along one side of the room was a beautifully decorated table piled high with silver platters of food. Hermione dragged Harry and I over to the dance floor, where she proved to be a very good dancer. I found that I knew most of the songs they were playing - even some of the muggle ones, thanks to Hermione and her portable radio. 

I had expected it to be very fancy, but it was more of a casual, have-a-good-time kind of dance. It definitely didn't seem as fancy when the DJ put on a new song and told us all to try something called "swing dancing." I had no idea what it was, but Hermione squealed in delight and grabbed my hands. I didn't take this as a good sign. 

"Hermione - what are we doing?" I asked, confused. 

"Here - I'll teach you," she said, lifting my arm and spinning under it. It actually wasn't so bad. We spent most of the song laughing hysterically as Hermione attempted to teach me some steps she'd learned at a summer course. I actually wasn't too bad at it. By the end of the song, I had the rhythm and was actually enjoying myself. Then, a slow song came on. Uh oh. I awkwardly put my arms around Hermione, not quite sure what to do, as this was the first dance I'd ever attended. But she smiled at me, and I relaxed. I flashed a grin at Harry, who was next to us with his arms around some cute Ravenclaw he'd met. He smiled back, and I turned to Hermione, rolling my eyes. 

"This is Ginny's favorite singer," I told her, wrinkling my nose. She smiled. 

"Who is it?" 

"Celestina Warbeck," I said with a groan. 

"Oh. She has a beautiful voice," Hermione offered. I sighed. 

"Yeah, but this song kind of...." I trailed off, searching for the right word. 

"Sucks?" Hermione supplied with a grin. I laughed. 

"Yes, if you want to put it bluntly." The song ended, and we headed over to the table with all the food, feeling extremely hungry. We piled our plates and walked over to one of the tables that was already partly occupied by the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years. Harry introduced Hermione and I to the Ravenclaw. She was sweet, but I kept forgetting her name. It was Brynne or Briana or something. 

The rest of the dance went in pretty much the same fashion. I even danced with Parvati. (Ugh. But it wasn't my fault - she asked me!) At the last dance, I found Hermione. I put my arms around her confidently this time - I was an expert at it by then. Harry was dancing with the Ravenclaw again. Brynne, her name was. Harry had gotten so annoyed when I couldn't remember that he'd dragged me off to the bathroom and made me say it fifteen times. Needless to say, I'd learned it. She really was pretty, with sparkling hazel eyes and long silky hair that was similar in color to Hermione's, but hung straight down her back. She looked kind of familiar - almost like the best friend of Harry's old girlfriend Cho. I wondered if she had an older sister. The song we were dancing to was a muggle song, one I'd never heard before. I stared at Hermione as the chorus came on, smiling at the accuracy of the lyrics. 

I don't know how you do what you do. 

I'm so in love with you 

It just keeps getting better 

I want to spend the rest of my life 

With you by my side 

Forever and ever 

'Cause every little thing that you do 

Baby I'm amazed by you. 

Every word of it was true. I looked into her eyes. They were like a world of their own, a world where my life was complete, where everything made sense. And I planned to cherish every moment I spent looking into them. 

The End. 

Author's note: I hope you liked this part. I spent forever on it!!!! Please review it. I'm considering adding more on because it ended kinda quickly. Please tell me in your reviews if you think I should continue it, and email me with any ideas. Now, there's a couple of other things about the story I'd like to clear up..... 

1. Some of you may be wondering about Brynne. Her name is pronounced BR-IN. I decided to add her in because there's girls in Gryffindor that we've met so far that I felt comfortable in putting Harry with (except maybe Ginny) and so I put him with someone from a different house. I didn't make it Cho because I don't like the idea of him dating an 'older woman.' For those of you who read From A Ravenclaw, Brynne is the younger sister of Erin Sanders, Cho's (invented) best friend. For all you Cho-lovers out there, you can just pretend that he was dancing with Cho and that Brynne never showed up. 

2. I think you can tell why I had to write this from Ron's POV. Just in case you can't, here's the reason: I'd already started writing the story from Hermione's POV before the little Sleeping Beauty like plot came into my head, and I couldn't exactly write that part from her POV, being that she was unconscious for half the scene. I considered writing it from Harry's, but I wanted to try and portray Ron's emotions, which would have been way different from Harry's. (Of course, right after I began to formulate the story, I read From A Different Point Of View by WeasleyTwinsFan and sobbed all over my keyboard. Writing from Ron's POV didn't seem half as hard after that!) 

Okay...um....that's it. Thanks for reading! And pretty PLEASE review..... 


End file.
